Another year here at the Maine Solar House. January was a storm-filled month, but we remained comfortable thanks to the extraordinary solar passive gain and our active solar thermal panels which supply hot water, through two 500-gallons tanks in the basement, to our radiant floor.

Just walking throughout the house this morning, as another snow storm is doing its will on our land - up to 14 inches today - I realized what a gift this structure is to us and the environment. Our thanks to our architect, Steven Strong and our builder, Tim Spang. Today, the snow will slide off our roof thanks to its 45 degree angle and the glass covered panels. We've already had a 5.5 Richter scale event as it roared to the ground! Tomorrow will be a sunny day and the cycle of harvesting the sun's energy will begin again.

In the month of January, we generated 273 kWhrs of electricity - pretty much the low point of our annual production. Each month, the sun contributes of our electrical needs without the use fossil fuels.

My Plugin Prius continues to provide transportation with very little gasoline used. It's still averaging 144 mpg annually, with a 10.2 miles electric range before switching over to its hybrid engine. As spring approaches, the range to grow toward 14 in the summer.

Are we enjoying the winter in Maine? You bet.

Last Updated on Monday, 03 March 2014 11:24

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Thomas Edison told his friends Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone: “I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy.
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